The Coffee bridge
by drags
Summary: Josh and Donna let the truth come out over a bag of coffee. Set in series 6, after the episode when they ride in the elevator together


Josh's hotel room:

I'm just going to go over there and be a man. She won't think its weird, during the Bartlett campaign we stayed up for hours together talking about everything. It was during all that time on the road I really got to know her. I suppose it might be slightly weird considering I've ignored her for the past 3 weeks. Having spent the majority of everyday with her, it's been odd not speaking. But that's not my fault, is it? She's the one that quit after all. No I'm just going to go over there, knock on her door and resolve the issue.

Donna's hotel room:

Should I go and talk to him? But what would I say? 'I've really missed you' I could say that. God that would be humiliating, I miss my boss, urgh! But he was more than my boss, I'm sure he was. He was my friend too, and now we haven't spoken for 3 weeks. It's weird. I know what I'll do, being the desperate woman I am I'm just going to look at his door for a while through that peepy thing, maybe he'll sense my vibe, hah!

This is crazy, it's 3:30 in the morning and I'm standing in my pyjamas looking through the peepy thing at my ex-bosses door, I'm a crazy lady!

Shit! I can't believe it his door is actually opening. He's coming over to my door, what am I going to do? Just be cool, poised, act normal. How can I be normal? The man I'm pretty sure I'm in love with is coming to my door in the middle of the night. The man who used to be my boss and, incidentally, whose boxers I am wearing. Shit.

Josh knocks

_Be cool_ (Donna opens the door) "Joshua, what a surprise"

"Hi Donna, I was just wandering…" _what, what am I wandering?_ "if you had any coffee I could have, seem to have run out?" _well that was smooth_

"Umm. . Sure, do you want to come in?"

"Yeah, that would be great" _Great? Holy Jesus what is she going to think_?

'_Come in' all he wanted was coffee what is he going to think?_

"So how's the campaign going, Bingo Bob got any cleverer?" _God I hope she takes the joke._

"You know what Josh, insult my candidate all you like…"

_ok, she obviously didn't_

"But please, please could you wait?"

"Wait?"

"Yes, wait. I have flown through 6 states in the last 36 hours, I've dealt with delays, arguments not to mention the effort it takes to try and endorse a candidate, who lets face it, has little or no support from his own party, so please lay off until tomorrow, because I've taken just about as much as I think I can take. Especially from you."

"Look Donna, I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"

"Lets just leave it shall we? Your coffee."

"Thanks, I…. Thanks"

Josh turns to leave, but spins round as he reaches the door

"What did you mean just then?"

"When?"

"When you said 'especially from you', what did you mean?"

"I don't know it just slipped out."

"Oh"

Oh. I wonder if it did mean anything, probably not. She looks good. Her hair is tied up at the back in a messy way, which means there are stands of blond hair falling over her face. She's wearing an old t-shirt that's just a little too small showing a small fraction of her tummy at its base, and if I'm not mistaken, my boxer shorts!

"Donnatella Moss are those my boxer shorts you're wearing?"

Blood rises to her cheeks as she looks down sheepishly.

"Well, yes. You left them at my apartment. That time you came over after your bachelor party and passed out."

"And now you're wearing them"

"Well yeah, they're comfy, and to be honest I really deserve them, the mess I had to clean up the next day. You have a delicate system you know"

"Hmm, well lets call it even, you can't be pissed at me for that comment about Bingo Bob, we're equal."

"I wasn't mad at you, I've just had a rough couple of days".

Silence

"I've missed that you know"

"Missed what, Bingo Bob?"

"See even you're doing it now, hah!"

"Whatever Joshua, missed what?"

"…that… you. Reminding me I have a delicate system, the banter we used to have in the morning about the latest 'Republican' you've been out with, all of it. I miss you."

_Damn, did I really just say that?_

In a whisper "I've missed you too"

"You have?"

"Yes"

Silence

"Look Josh, I'm sorry for leaving, but my job was at a standstill. You didn't expect me to be your secretary forever did you?"

"Well…I thought after a while you'd just kind of become my personal slave. Ow!"

"Really?" Donna says smirking, having just punched josh on the arm

"Obviously not. I realise you have incredible intelligence and would bound to want to move on sooner or later, maybe just not so soon."

"It's been 6 years Josh! I grew out of that job years ago!"

"I could have found you a new job"

"What as? You've said it before yourself, if there was a new title you could have given me you would have. It was time to move on."

Josh nods his head absently

_He looks so vulnerable. His hair's a mess, he needs a shave and his shirt needs an iron. But I can't help but smile. I really have missed him, I didn't want to leave really but I couldn't stay working there anymore, _"it got to hard"

"what?"

_Shit did I say that out loud?_

"What got to hard?"

I look into his eyes that are searching my own. What should I say? That I found the work to hard? Maybe I should just tell the truth.

"What got to hard Donna"

"I…I don't know. It just slipped out like the other thing, like I've said it's been a long couple days"

Silence

Donna goes over to sit on the bed; Josh still clutching the coffee goes over and sits next to her.

It's time. Time to be a man. I'm going to tell her why a came over, I don't want to be this close to her and not be able to explain why I'm so upset she left. I'm just going to do it.

"I didn't come over here for coffee" I say quietly

"You didn't?"

"No. I came over to say…to say…"

"Josh?"

"That I miss you. That I've missed you like crazy and that I'm sorry"

Tears start to well up in Donna's eyes "Sorry for what?"

"For being pissy about you leaving. For keeping you in that job you should have left after a year, for not wanting to let you go."

"It's fine" Donna says spluttering

"It's not" Josh rises " I kept you there for my own selfish reasons, I could have got another assistant easily, truth is, I didn't want to lose you, I didn't want anyone else to have you!"

"Why?"

"Isn't it obvious? I love you Donna! I love you"

I've said it. No going back now. Tears are streaming down her cheeks. I want so badly to wipe them away. To tuck that strand of hair behind her ear and to finally kiss her, but I can't.

He loves me. He loves me!

I've said it, she hasn't said it back, I need to leave. Josh starts to walk away, running his fingers through his hair.

Barely above a whisper Donna replies, "I love you to."

Did I hear that? Turning around Josh fixes his eyes on Donna's watery blue one's.

"Did you say something?"

"I said, you forgot your coffee"

"Oh" – Picking it up Josh turns to leave once more

"And…I love you to."

I can't believe it, she loves me, my stomachs tied in a knot. I turn, walking over to her, slowly. I still can't quite believe it. She actually loves me. I reach where she is sitting and kneel down in front of her. Shaking from excitement I raise my hand to put that strand of hair over her ear while my other hand strokes her damp cheek.

"You love me?" I say throatily

"Yes, yes."

Stroking her hair I lean forward. This is it, the moment I've waited for since I first realised I love her. Her eyes are looking at me intently as I lean in. She's shaking, or is it me? Our mouths touch and its soft, her lips salty from her tears. I press harder, its better than I ever imagined.

Pulling away, foreheads touching, Donna catches her breath, biting her bottom lip. She says smiling

"See. I don't only go for Republicans"

Josh smiles, his dimples coming out, "So it would seem" And kisses her again.


End file.
